Flagpole-rope tightener



May 27, 1930. A. BERNARDiN 1,760,337

FLAG POLE ROPE TIGHTENER Filed Au 5, 1929 Zia/2711011 J21 ban e er ardzln.

Patented May 27, 1934) PATENT @FFlQE ALPHONSE BERNARIDIN, OF SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA FLAGPOLE-ROPE TIGHTENEB Application filed. August 5, 1929.

My invention pertains to a flag pole rope tightener.

It has been found that it is diflicult to fasten the rope hoisting a flag suficiently tight to prevent the swaying of the rope due to the flapping action of the flag- In tall flag poles, flying large flags it is the custom to use asteel rope or cable which passes over a pulley block at the top of the pole and has up and down leads, the flag being secured to one of these leads. These are usually secured in some suitable way at the bottom of the pole but the. flapping of the flag causes the steel rope to slap against the pole. This action is injurious to the steel rope or cable as it gradually destroys the cable and also knocks the paint oil of the pole.

An object of my invention is a device which may be attached to a flag pole and which after the rope or cable is pulled sufli ciently taut as it may be done by the hand, my device is operated to give an additional tension to the rope or cable, this being sufficient to tighten the rope or cable so that it cannot swing or vibrate sufficiently to cause the rope to strike the pole.

Another object of my invention is a flag pole rope tightener in which the rope after being fastened in the ordinary manner is tensioned and in such tensioning is spaced from the pole at the bottom to a greater extent than by the ordinary tastening, this spacing being sufficient to prevent the rope or cable from striking the pole due to the flapping of the In more detail, an object of my invention is to employ a toggle type of tightener which has an arm pivotally connected to a pole so that as this arm engages the up and down rock of the cable and when pulled down, exerts a toggle type of action, thus tightening the cable and the toggle joint becoming in effect locked, holds the cable in a tight position. y

In constructing my invention I utilize a clamp which may be attached to a flag pole, such clamp being adjustable to accommodate a considerable variation in size of the pole. An arm is pivotally connected to the clamp and has a pair of guides which are preferably Serial No. 383,760.

rollers, to engage the up and down run of the rope. When the flag is being raised and the rope cleated, the arm is preferably vertical and when it is desired to tighten the rope, the two branches are engaged in the guides and the arm pulled downwardly into a horizontal position. The arm is provided with a stop which engages the clamp and thus holds the arm in a horizontal position with the rope stretched taut.

My invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is an elevation of a flag pole with my tightener attached thereto, showing the flag rope;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrow 3 with the arm shown in the horizontal position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with the arm shown in the vertical position;

Fig. 5 illustrates a type of fastening for a flag rope on large flag poles.

In the drawings, the flag pole 11 is illustrated as having a pulley block 12 at the top and a pulley rope 13. This rope may be considered as having up and down runs, the up run carrying the flag 14 when it is hoisted and the down run being used for pulling the flag. At the bottom of the pole I illustrate a conventional cleat 15 for securing the rope. This may be of any ordinary or suitable type and where a steel cable is used, this cleat is of a character suitable to grip the steel. My ti ghtener is indicated generally by the numeral 16 and is attached to the pole to tighten the cable or rope.

lhe tightener embodies a clamp designated generally by the numeral 17 which has two semi-circular bands 18 with flanges 19 on the back through which extends a clamping bolt 20. At the opposite side there are two bars 21 which are of considerable length having a clamping bolt 22. This attaches the clamp rigidly to the flag pole.

A toggle arm designated generally by the numeral 23 has two straps 24; connected by a pivot bolt 25 to the bars 21. The strap has converging ends 26 with a hand grip 27 and the bottom.

for convenience is made with a reverse bend 28 at the other end. Cable guides 29 are formed of rollers 30 mounted on cleat 31, these being journaled in the straps 24 and in the ofiset ears 32 which are illustrated as riveted to the straps 24. The up and down run of the rope or cable engages the rollers as indicated in Fig. 2. One of the straps 24 has a rearwardly extending strap or bar 33 which has a U-shaped stop 34; such stop being adapted to engage underneath one of the bars 21 of the clamp.

In the use of my invention the flag is hoisted preferably with the toggle arm extending upwardly in the position shown in Fig. 4 and the rope of cable is cleated as tight as may be convenient by hand or other manipulation.

The up and down runs oi the cable are then titted against the guide rollers while the toggle arm is in the vertical position and the operator engages the hand grip portion 27, pulling this downwardly, which action causes a tensioning of the rope or cable and the toggle arm is pulled down into the horizontal position until the stop 34 engages the bar 21. Then the tension of the rope acting on the toggle arm gives a toggle type of look so that there is no danger in the vibration of the rope or cable of the toggle arm swinging upwardly. This action effectively spaces the rope or cable from the flag pole and holds it suiiiciently taut so that in the clamping of the iiag it will not strike the pole and thus avoids damaging of the rope or cable and also knocking of the paint oii" the pole.

In Fig. 5 I illustrate a type of bottom fastening for a flag rope on'large flag poles, in which there is a split clamp 35 having a hinge 86 in one side and a clamping bolt 37 and to one of the straps of this clamp there is secured a pulley 38 over which run the ropes 13 for handling the flag. With this type of arrangement there is the pulley at the bottom and at the top of the flag pole and should the rope become slack the clamp 35 may be loosened and shoved downwardly.

' My device works equally well with a flag pole having pulleys at the top and bottom or a pulley at the top and a cleat for the rope at In the claims where I have de lined securing means or the like for the rope adj acent the bottom of the pole, it is intended to cover the arrangement having a pulley at the bottom.

Various changes may be made in the principles of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof as set forth in the description, drawings and claims.

I claim: I

1. flag rope tightener, comprising in combination a flag pole having a pulley at the top, a securing means at the bottom, a rope roved through the pulley and attached to the securing means, having an up and down run, an arm pivotally connected to the pole and having a guide means interengaging at least one of the runs of the rope, the arm being adapted to move from a vertical to a horizontal position and increase the spacing of the rope from the pole.

2. A flag rope tightener, comprising in combination a flag pole having a pulley at the top with a rope roved therethrough, the rope having up and down runs and a securing means for the bottom of the rope, a tightener having an arm pivotally connected to the pole, having a guide device to engage at least oneof the runs of the rope, the arm being adapted to swing from a vertical to a horizontal position, thus spacing the rope outwardly from the pole, and a stop device to limit the movement of the arm, the reaction of the rope and the arm giving a toggle type of lock.

3. A flag pole tightener, comprising in combination a pole having a pulley at the top, a rope roved therethrough having up and down runs, securing means for the rope adjacent the bottom of the pole, an arm pivotally connected to the pole and having guide means spaced apart, engaging both of the runs of the rope, means to shift the arm from the vertical to a horizontal position, thus increasing the spacing of the rope and the pole greater than that between thepulley and the securing means.

4. A flag pole tightener, as claimed in claim 3, the armhaving a stop device adapted to engage the structure pivotally connecting the arm to the pole, and whereby the reaction of the rope on the arm gives a toggle type of lock.

5. A flag rope tightener, comprising in combination a pole having a pulley at the top, a rope roved therethrough, having up and down runs, a securing means for the rope adjacent the bottom of the pole, a tightener havmg an arm with means pivotally connecting the arm to the pole, the arm having guides formed of a pair of rollers to engage each of the runs of the rope, means to shift the arm from a vertical to a horizontal position and thus increase the spacing of the rope from the pole, a stop on the arm interconnecting the means attaching the arm to the pole, whereby a toggle type of lock is obtained.

6. A flag rope tightener, comprising in combination a flag pole having a pulley at the top, a rope roved therethrough, a fastener for the rope at the bottom, the rope having an up and down run, a clamp attached to the pole and having bars projecting from one side, a toggle arm pivotally connected to the said bars and having a guide means to engage at least one of the runs of the rope, means to shift the arm from the vertical to a horizontal position and thereby increase the Spacing of the rope from the pole and increasing the tension therein, and a stop interconnecting the arm and one of the bars of the clamp to form a toggle type of lock.

7. A flag rope tightener, comprising an arm having means to'secure same to a flag pole and having guide means to engage a flag rope, means to shift the arm from a vertlcal to a horizontal position With the rope engaged in the guide means, and a stop forming a type of toggle lock When the arm occupies the horizontal position.

8. A flag rope tightener, comprising a clamp adapted for attachment to a flag pole and having a pair of bars, an arm pivotally connected to said bars and having a pair of guides to engage up and down runs of a flag rope, means to shift the arm from a vertical to a horizontal position and a stop device on the arm engaging one of the bars of the clamp to hold the arm in a horizontal position when under tension of the rope.

9. A flag pole tightener, comprising a clamp having means to encircle a flag pole and having a pair of bars extending from opposite sides, an arm having a pair of straps pivotally connected to the pair of bars, a rope guide on each of the straps, comprising a roller, a hand grip on the arm to shift the arm from a vertical to a horizontal position, With the rope engaged in the guide and a stop on an extension of one of the straps adapted to engage one or" the bars When the arm occupies a horizontal position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALPHONSE BERNARDIN. 

